Boost for UNRWA as UK decides to restore funding
Sixteen countries pulled funding from the UN agency in January worth $450 million following unproven allegations from Israel that a dozen staff had been involved in the Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel on 7 October in which some 1,200…
Guatemala: UN rights chief concerned over polarization, inequality, racism
“It was a priority for me to come to Guatemala at a crucial moment in its history, and to support the country in its efforts to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, to fight against corruption and establish a clear…
No end in sight to the ‘war on women’ in Gaza
“They are losing their lives, they are sick, hungry, exhausted, holding families together despite their constant fear and loss,” said Maryse Guimond, speaking from Jerusalem to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York. Ms. Guimond recently concluded a weeklong mission to Gaza – a place she has visited more than…
‘Largest’ displacements so far in Gaza’s war of attrition: UN aid agencies
In addition to deep concerns about all those forcibly uprooted from their shelters and homes, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the delivery of lifesaving rations has become even more difficult than it was already. Meanwhile in New…
Human Rights abuses in CAR detention centres need urgent response: UN experts
The report highlights torture of inmates, ill-treatment, arbitrary and illegal arrest and detention, malnutrition and poor healthcare. Thousands are being held in overcrowded facilities across CAR with little access to basics like food, water, sanitation and healthcare. This alarming situation is…
New support needed amid preparations for Ukraine’s third wartime winter
“Kharkiv holds a special place in our efforts to support the people of Ukraine. I have seen firsthand the impact of the continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and the consequences on millions of civilians. But I have also witnessed tireless…
Eastern Afghanistan reels from fatal storms; dozens dead, hundreds homeless
Nangarhar province, including its capital Jalalabad, is reported to be the hardest hit. This province also suffered from devastating floods in April. Other affected provinces include Badakhshan, Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan. During the daily press briefing in New York, UN…
Books offer novel way to counter prison overcrowding in the Philippines
The initiative supported by the UN office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Philippines is also expected to help ease chronic overcrowding in detention centres across the Southeast Asian nation. Dave*, who is one month into a six-month sentence,…
Over 1,000 attacks on healthcare in Occupied Palestinian Territory since October
In a press briefing, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza, told journalists there are currently no functional hospitals in the enclave’s southernmost city of Rafah, following Israel’s recent offensive there. The availability of hospital beds…
Security Council debates Gaza crisis, as civilian suffering continues unabated
Addressing ambassadors on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Chef-de-Cabinet Courtenay Rattray warned that on top of the dire situation in the war-ravaged enclave, the spectre of further regional spillover is increasing by the day. End collective punishment Reiterating his…